Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Chicago (Western Ave), IL
River level and flood forecast · Cook County
Normal-2.0 ftas of Mon 3 PM
The river is 6.0 ft below flood stage (4 ft).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Flood stage | 4 ft |
| Action stage | 2 ft |
| Record crest (May 17, 2020) | 5.26 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 7 ftStructures are threatened near the canal in the Bridgeport, Lower West Side, McKinley Park, and South Lawndale areas of Chicago. Structures are threatened near the South Branch Chicago River along Iron Street in the Bridgeport and McKinley Park areas of Chicago.
- 6 ftStructures are threatened near Ping Tom Park and in the Armour Square, Near South Side, and Lower West Side areas of Chicago.
- 4 ftThe canal overflows low-lying banks in the Bridgeport, Lower West Side, McKinley Park, and South Lawndale areas of Chicago.
- 2 ftLow-lying sections of Ping Tom Park are inundated.
Highest crests on record
- 5.26 ft — May 17, 2020
- 4.1 ft — June 30, 1977
- 3.62 ft — October 14, 2017
- 3.07 ft — June 15, 2015
- 1.65 ft — May 1, 2019
Recent crests: 5.26 ft (May 17, 2020) · 1.65 ft (May 1, 2019) · 3.62 ft (October 14, 2017) · 3.07 ft (June 15, 2015) · 4.1 ft (June 30, 1977)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamNorth Branch Chicago River at Chicago (Grand Ave), IL
- DownstreamChicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Stickney, IL
- Chicago River at Chicago (Columbus Dr), IL
- Lake Michigan at Chicago (Chicago Lock), IL
- Des Plaines River at Lyons, IL
- Des Plaines River at Riverside, IL
- Summit Conduit at Summit, IL
- Des Plaines River at River Forest, IL
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (CSWI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.